


But the time has come (to move along)

by heavenlyshadows



Series: Let Me Go [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavenlyshadows/pseuds/heavenlyshadows
Summary: "Peter don’t you dare.” his voice was both furious and desperate. “I don’t care if you are strong enough to stop a bus with your bare hands, even you can’t survive that.” Peter took a long, shaking breath. “If I don’t Thanos is going to wipe out the entire planet.”“That’s not your responsibility!” He could see Tony racing towards him now, hear the strain of his repulsors as he pushed the suit go faster. It wouldn’t make a difference. Peter had already made up his mind. “We don’t have time for anything else,” he said.He pulled the gauntlet over his hand.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Let Me Go [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725967
Comments: 10
Kudos: 250





	But the time has come (to move along)

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the song Other Side of the World by KT Tunstall

Peter wasn’t going to make it to the van. He knew it the instant Thanos’ army had him surrounded. Even with Instant Kill tearing them apart as fast as they came, still more appeared, piling on top of each other to grab the gauntlet clutched between his hands. 

The other Avengers didn’t seem to be doing much better. Peter could hear their desperate calls for backup over the comms, and he knew they were losing. Again.

Still, they kept fighting. He could see Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts fighting back to back across the battlefield, the light from their suits so bright he could barely make them out. Captain America stood a few feet away, throwing aliens out of his path with Thor's hammer - since when had he been able to do that? - and Dr. Strange, struggling to keep a massive wave from crushing them all.

As if he could feel Peter’s gaze on him, the man turned and met his eyes, holding up a finger, and though he didn’t speak, Peter understood.

_ Fourteen million six hundred and five futures. How many did we win?  _

_ One. _

For a second, only a second, Peter hesitated. He had just gotten his life back. He wanted to go back to Queens and to school, to see his friends and May. He wanted more lab days with Tony and to build more Lego sets with Ned. To go on one last date with MJ and finally give her that necklace he had spent months agonizing over. 

He wanted more time.

But he remembered what he had told Tony what felt like a lifetime ago;  _ When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you. _

Peter couldn’t afford to be selfish now.

“Mr.Stark?” he called out over the comms. 

“Kid?” The question came out in an apprehensive huff as if he were expecting bad news, and Peter felt guilt stab through him. 

“Do me a favor, ok? T-tell May and my friends that I-” 

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Pete, cause you can-” he broke off abruptly, and Peter knew that he had seen him and the gauntlet poised over his hand. “Peter, don’t you dare.” his voice was both furious and desperate. “I don’t care if you are strong enough to stop a bus with your bare hands. Even you can’t survive that.” 

Peter took a long, shaking breath. “If I don’t, Thanos is going to wipe out the entire planet.” 

“That’s not your responsibility!” He could see Tony racing towards him now, hear the strain of his repulsors as he pushed the suit go faster, but it wouldn’t make a difference. Peter had already made up his mind. 

“We don’t have time for anything else,” he said.

He pulled the gauntlet over his hand.

Pain shot through his body, and it felt like he was burning, liquid fire racing through his veins, scorching his skin and turning his bones to ash. It was the worst thing he had ever felt. He fell to his knees and blinked around the black spots in his vision. Thanos was running towards him, his face twisted in fury.

“Not this time.” Peter hissed through clenched teeth.

He looked the titan dead in the eye as he snapped his fingers.

There was a flash and then nothing. 

_ This is it, _ he thought. Then he heard a voice.

“...id? Can you hear me? It’s Tony.” His mentor’s face came into view, foggy and distorted. He looked like crap. “ We won,” he sobbed. “We won, kid. You did it.” 

“M-Mis’r Ssta..?” the words came out jumbled and wrong. 

“Shh, don’t try to talk.” Tony shook his head. “You’re gonna be fine; we’re gonna get you fixed up just-”

“Mister Stark,” Peter gasped, cutting him off with renewed strength. “It’s ok.” Tony’s shoulders shook as he took Peter’s free hand in both of his, kissing the cuts and bruises on the boy’s knuckles as if that was the only thing he needed to make this better. “M sorry,” he mumbled. 

“No.” Tony’s voice came out fractured. “You have nothing to apologize for.” Peter could feel hot tears fall on his face as Tony pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You did good, kid. I’m so proud of you.” 

Peter almost laughed, remembering a time before Spider-Man. The ‘ _ Nice work kid’ _ Mr. Stark had thrown over his shoulder after saving him from being blown apart by a Hammer drone hadn’t meant anything to him at the time but it had meant everything to Peter. Since then, all he had ever dreamed of was to be a hero like Tony. Eight-year-old Peter could never have dreamed up something like this. 

As carefully as he could, Tony placed his hands under Peter’s shoulders, shifting him, so his head rested on the man’s chest. “It’s ok, Pete.” He whispered, carding a hand through his hair, “We’re gonna be ok.” Peter couldn’t fight the tiredness that was pulling his eyelids closed. “I love you so much,” Tony said against his ear. “Always have, always will.” 

Peter smiled despite the effort. “Love you ...too.”

His heart stopped before he had the chance to see every hero on the battlefield, the same hero's he had looked up to since he was a little kid, fall to their knees, a silent tribute to the youngest Avenger.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll post two different sequels to this, one where Peter survives and another from Tony's pov where he doesn't. 
> 
> This story is cross-posted on fanfiction.net


End file.
